Island



No. 6|I,572. Patented Sept. 27, I898.

"E. .LESTEY.

NUT LOCK.

lication filed A r. 30

(No Model.)

WITNESSES lZV VENTOR IaZmu/na LIZ??? I Nirn STATESV- EDMUND JOSEPH ESTEY, OF APPONAUG, Rl-IODE ISLAND.

NUT-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 611,572, dated September 27, 1898. Application filed April 30, 1897. Serial N0- 634,585. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDMUND JOSEPH ESTEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Apponaug, in the county of Kent and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lock-Nuts; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in lock-nuts.

The objectof the invention is to provide a nut of the character mentioned in combination with efficient means for retaining the nut against rotation after the same has been positioned upon any desired part, whereby accidental displacementof the nut is entirely obviated. y

With this object in view the invention consists, substantially, in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully. illustrated, described, and explained.

In the accompanying drawings,-Figu re 1 is a perspective view of an axle-spindle having a lock-nut applied thereto, constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective View of the sliding locking-key. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of the slotted washer, showing the lockingkey disposed therein. v Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the figures of the drawings. 1 Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the spindle of a vehicle-axle, which may be of any desired material, andsaid spindle 1 is provided at its. outer end with the usual screw-threads 2; but at the inner end of the said threads the spindle 1 has an annular recess 3, the purpose of which will presently appear.

4 designates a washer, which may be of any desired material, and said washer is'provided with a transverse slot 5,'which slot extends across the washer 4, so as to be in communication withthe central opening 6 thereof, and formed on the washer 4 at one side thereof and opening into the transverse slot 5 is an elongated slot 7.

Sliding within the transverse slot 5 is a locking-key 8, and it will be noted that the key 8 is of such width as to fit snugly in the slot 5, so as to properly work therein, and it will be further observed that the length of the key 8 is slightly less than the length of the slot 5. One edge of the key 8 is cut away, so as to conform substantially with the opening 6 of the washer 4, or, in other Words, the key Sis so shaped that as the same is passed throughout the slot 5 the same will in no wise obstruct the opening 6 asto prevent the threads 2 of the spindle 1 freely passing therethrough. Formed at one end of the cut-away portion of the key 8 is a segmentally-curved lockingflange 9, which flange is adapted to enter the recess 3 of the spindle 1 in a manner to be presently described, and formed in the key 8, so as to register with the elongated slot 7 of the washer 4, is an aperture 10. By reason of the locking-key 8 being of less length than the transverse slot 5 it is apparent that the locking-flange 9 may be causedto project beyond the adjacent edges of the opening 6 of the washer 4, so as to enter the annular re- 'cess 3, or said flange 9 may be so positioned by reversing the sliding movement of the key 8 as to recede from the recess 3 and enter the transverse slot 5 sufficiently to lie entirely out of the opening 6 of the washer 4.

11 designates a nut, which may be of any shape desired, and 12a spring engaging-strip carried by the nut 11, one end of said strip 12 being bent at substantially right angles to its body portion and adapted to be seated in a recess 13, formed in one side of the nut 11, and being secured in said recess by a screw or its equivalent. The other end of said strip 12 is also bent at right angles to the body thereof, but in a different plane to the end of the strip 12, which is secured in the recess 13, and this free end of the strip 12 passes through the elongated slot 7, formed in the washer 4, and enters the aperture 10, formed in the lockingkey 8. The aperture 10 is of sufficient size to permit the free end of the strip 12 being seated snugly therein, and by reason of the slot 7 being elongated it will be seen that the free end of the strip 12 may readily work therein.

The operation of the herein-described locknut is as follows: The washer 4 is first applied to the spindle 1; but previous to so applying the washer 4 the locking-key 8 is moved so that the flange 9 thereof will enter the transverse slot 5 of the washer 4, and thereby permit the opening 6 of the latter being entirely free of projections. With the flange 9 in this position it is evident that the washer 4 may be placed on the spindle 1 with no difficulty whatever, and when this has been effected the nut 11 is turned upon the threads 2 until said nut approaches the washer 4 sufficiently for the free end of the connecting-stri p 12 to be-inserted in the elongated slot '7 of the washer 4 and also to enter the aperture 10 of the locking-key 8. A continued rotation of the nut 11 will also cause the washer 4 to rotate therewith, and after the nut 11 has been screwed sufliciently tight and the Washer 4 is over the annular recess 3, by reason of the connecting-strip 12 being formed of spring material, it will be seen that the tendency of said strip is to move away from the nut 11, and thus draw the sliding key 8 through the transverse slot 5, so that the locking-flange 9 will enter into the annular recess 3 of the spindle 1. Owing to this movement of the key 8 the flange 9 thereof will always remain in the recess 3, and though a reverse rotation of the nut 11 may be had for a slight distance it is at once evident that the nut 11 will not become displaced from the threads 2, owing to the fact that the connecting-strip 12 always forces the lockingflange 9 into engagement with the recess 3, and unless the strip 12 is forced against the nut 11, so that the key 8 may be slid through the transverse slot 5 and as a result the locking-flange 9 be caused to recede from said recess, the nut cannot be removed from the threads 2.- This removal of the nut 11 may, however, be accomplished by forcing the strip 12 upon the nut 11, as above indicated, when both the nut 11 and the washer 4 may be easily taken from the spindle 1.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the herein-described improvements provide an exceedingly simple lock nut, which may be made at a comparatively low figure, and said nut is adapted for use more especially upon vehicles, so that continual displacing of the nuts from the vehicle is entirely obviated; but while the improvements may be employed for this purpose it will of course be understood that the same are equally applicable to engines and other motors, bolts, machinery, or other parts where itis necessary for employing a lock-nut, and

while the strip 12 has been illustrated in the drawings as formed of flat material, a wire spring or its equivalent may be substituted therefor. This, together with other changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction, may be resorted to, as it is evident that the invention is susceptible thereof, and hence I do not limit myself to the precise arrangement described and shown, but reserve the right to change, modify, or vary the device as falls within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. In a nut-lock, the combination with a washer, of a laterally-movable key thereon separate from said washer, a nut, and means on the nut for holding said key in engagement with the part to which the nut is applied.

2. In a nut-lock, the combination with a washer, of a laterally-movable key thereon separate from said washer and adapted to intersect the bolt-opening in said washer, a nut, and means on said nut for holding said key in contact with the part to which said washer and nut are applied.

3. In a nut-lock, the combination with a washer, of a movable engaging portion thereon, a nut, and a spring carried by said nut and adapted to engage said key for holding the same in contact with the part to which said washer and nut are applied.

4. In a lock-nut of the class described, the combination with a washer, of a slidinglymounted locking key carried thereby but separate therefrom, a nut, and suitable connections between said nut and the lockingkey, whereby the latter is adapted to be held in engagement with an object upon which the washer and the nut are placed, substantially as described.

5. In a lock-nut of the class described, the combination with a Washer, of a slidinglymounted locking-key carried by said washer but separate therefrom, a nut, and a connecting-strip between said nut and the lockingkey, whereby the locking-key is held in engagement with an object upon which the nut and the washer are placed, substantially as described.

6. In a lock-nut of the class described, the combination with a washer, of a locking-key carried thereby, a locking-flange carried by said key, a nut and a connecting-strip carried by the nut and adapted to engage the locking key, whereby the locking-flange carried by said key is adapted to be engaged with an ob ject upon which the washer and the nut are placed, to prevent the nut and the washer being displaced therefrom, substantially as de* scribed.

7. In a lock-nut of the class described, the

combination with a washer provided with a transverse slot, of a locking-key arranged within said slot and adapted to work therein,

combination with a washer provided with a transverse slothaving communication with the central opening of the Washer, of alocking-key arranged within said slot and provided with a locking-flange adapted to be moved into and out of said transverse slot so as to enter and recede from the central opening of the Washer, a nut, a spring connecting-strip carried by the nut and engaged by the locking-key, said strip being adapted to force the locking-flange of said key into engagement With an object upon which the nut and washer are placed, whereby the same are retained thereon and prevented being displaced therefrom, substantially as described.

9. In a nut-lock, the combination with a spindle or other analogous device, having a threaded end, of a washer adapted to fit thereon provided with a transverse slot extending therethrough and intersecting the bolt-opening therein, and with an elongated slot extending through the washer at right angles to said transverse slot, a key slidingly mount ed in said transverse slot and provided with an aperture registering with the elongated slot in said Washer, a nut adapted to engage the threaded end of said spindle, and a springstrip secured to said nut whose free end extends through the elongated slot in said washer and the aperture in said key, as and for the purpose set forth.

10. The combination with a spindle or other analogous device having a threaded end and a peripheral groove or recess adjacent thereto, of a washer adapted to fit thereon provided with a transverse slot extending there through and intersecting the bolt-opening therein and with an elongated slot extending through the Washer at right angles to said transverse slot, a key slidingly mounted in said transverse slot provided with an aperture registering with the elongated slot in said washer, and with a flange adapted to'proj ect inwardly Within the bolt-opening in said Washer and to engage the peripheral recess in said spindle, a nut adapted to engage the threaded end of said spindle, and a springstrip carried by said nut Whose free end extends through the elongated slot in said Washer, and the aperture in said key, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDMUND JOSEPH ESTEY.

Witnesses:

GEORGE E. NIoHoLs, D. 0. (loans. 

